Isabel Chicquor

Sadly, it seems that this blog is becoming an obituary column. I've just received news that Isabel Chicquor, an artist represented by Through This Lens, has passed away. Isabel has spent the past several months working against a tenacious malady that finally overtook her body - though not her spirit. Many of you will have known her as a spirited, opinionated and passionate artist and a generous human being and friend. We will all miss her.

No Alternatives:Hand-Crafted Photo Exhibition

Friday, October 21, 2011 artists, collectors, and the usual suspects gathered to see the unveiling of the No Alternatives exhibition at Through This Lens gallery. This is the first exhibition at Through This Lens to be selected by jury - in this case by Sam Wang and Christina Z. Anderson. Both Sam and Christina are noted authorities, and practitioners, in the hand-made photography world. In fact, they both also teach processes and techniques which are often referred to as "Alt" - but exactly why No Alternatives was chosen for the exhibition title is best expressed by Kevin Logghe. Kevin came up with the idea for the show more than a year ago. For more about that please see his web site http://www.fotosavant.com. There were entries artists from around the US and several other countries. The processes include, among others, cyanotype, platinum-palladium, carbon transfer, mordancage and gum bichromate. These processes are often based on antique processes, but some are experimental. All the subject matter is contemporary - which ultimately is the point of this exhibition. Given that many of the prints on display took days to create, and are each one unique, proof in on the walls that craft and hand-work has not been fully replaced by the computer.

Carter and Earley Reveal Secrets

Catharine Carter and Lawrence Earley spoke about their work Sunday afternoon. A revealing session, Ms. Carter noted that her work had become a sort of visual "journaling" to record her feelings and thoughts - and every image had a story behind it. She also mentioned how the misfortune of having her film cameras stolen during a trip had forced her to become more familiar with her digital equipment. While she continues to work in the darkroom, even exploring more hand-crafted processes, the body of work currently on display was printed by her on her Epson printer.

Mr. Earley, Larry to his friends, recounted experiences of interviewing boat owners and fishermen of the North Carolina coast. Much of his work has been shot on 4x5 film, though he sometimes other formats. His silver-gelatin prints are finely crafted and serve his subjects well. It was a pleasure to hear both of these artists reveal their thoughts and motivations behind their work.